1. Focus on soft skills. EY hires incredibly bright and talented individuals. In fact, their people are their greatest asset. But even the sharpest MBAs can lack the skills that will make them successful in business. Relationship-building, listening skills, diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurial thinking, and other critical life skills are essential.

2. Listen more. You’re not learning if you’re the one doing all the talking.

3. Take time to explain WHY. Organizational change happens slowly, especially within larger companies, but if your employees understand why changes are being made, then they will be more inclined to hop on board. Open communication is key to effectively managing change and staying innovative. EY employees listen to their clients on a daily basis and learn from them (again, listening skills!).

4. Schedule downtime. As work demands more and more of our time, it’s incredibly important to manage your free time. Don’t let leisure be the last thing you get to after everything else is done. Schedule it. Quality time with family and friends is restorative and essential to being your best at work.

5. Think globally. EY has more than 700 offices across 150 countries. What happens in Japan, or Russia, or Ukraine impacts everyone. If you run a business that has offices in multiple locations, know what’s going on in each of those locations. It will make you a better leader.

It was great to hear Mark validate the work EverFi is doing to arm students with critical skills that will prepare them to be successful in life. While EY and EverFi are different in many ways, we share a commitment to the EY mission of “building a better working world.”